A key to success for the two-time South-West Conference champion Newtown High School softball team, in addition to the on-field skill among players, has been an ability to overcome losses to injury.

This season, Newtown gets two key players who were hurt for all or much of last year back to begin the campaign - something that Coach Bob Guererra hopes help to offset voids left when graduation claimed four top players.

Captains are pitcher/shortstop Sara Kennedy, corner infielder Megan Goyda, and first baseman/outfielder Kamdynn Moroney. Returnees include catcher/shortstop Tess Mubarek, outfielder Emily Bell, and catcher/second baseman Mackenzie Macchiarulo. Goyda, who was a middle-of-the order hitter as a sophomore, missed her entire junior year with an ACL injury and will be a welcomed returnee. Junior infielder Shannon Cheh, who was sidelined for the second half of last season - also the victim of an ACL injury - is back with a solid bat, too.

A season ago, the Hawks were bolstered by the return of Mali Klorczyk, who had been with the team earlier in her high school career before shifting her focus to offseason basketball and track and field, missing her junior year, when the Hawks won their first of the two SWC titles.

Kennedy is excited to see what newcomers contribute to the team coming off a 17-3 campaign in which the Hawks reached the Class LL State Tournament quarterfinals.

We'll be very solid," Guererra said. "It's nice to be the defending champ - that's a good thing, and we have experience."

At the same time, there will be tough SWC foes, including Masuk of Monroe, Pomperaug of Southbury, and New Milford, that will stand in the way of another return to the pinnacle. That's something Guererra likes, and the coach schedules some tough out-of-conference competition to help ready his squad for the postseason.

"There are going to be some teams out there that will give us all we can handle. It will be a challenge. It will be fun," the Newtown coach speculates. "If we play the way we can we'll make the playoffs and we'll see what happens."

Guererra likes the makeup of his team, both in terms of talent and personality, and Goyda appreciates the cohesiveness of the group.

"We have good team chemistry this year," Goyda said.

"And we're looking for a three-peat," Moroney added.

The season, field conditions permitting in the aftermath of heavy mid-March snow that left the Hawks practicing indoors at Danbury Sports Dome and the Danbury PAL building before the Blue & Gold Stadium turf field was cleared, is slated to begin Wednesday, April 5, when St Joseph of Trumbull visits for a 4:15 pm contest.

Newtown's regular-season schedule begins with games against three FCIAC teams: St Joseph. Norwalk, and Darien.